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Using the example of an industrial site in Edmonton, Alberta, this paper argues that industrial ruins represent instantiations of abstract abandonment, a kind of real abstraction that directly articulates to the logic of capital. Drawing from excavations of the industrial ruins of Mill Creek Ravine, one of the first industrial areas in Edmonton, this paper reveals how sites of abstract abandonment congeal critical histories of both abandonment and its afterlives. The history of these ruins, and the communities that emerged after they were abandoned materialize the failures of capitalist fantasies, as well as the sprouts that grow in its cracks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ongoing legal and social discrimination, and stigmatization of people with lived experience of drug use (PWLE) continues to contribute to overdose-related deaths in Canada. The involvement of PWLE working in harm reduction services has proven effective in decreasing drug-related harms among PWLE; however, there exist unintended negative impacts. PWLE working in harm reduction services risk overextending themselves beyond employment parameters (e.g., emotional labor) with few systems in place (e.g., employment advocacy) for support. While meaningful participation of PWLE in harm reduction programs is critical to addressing the overdose crisis, their labor in Canada's overdose response commands further investigation and recognition. This paper examines some of the benefits and negative aspects of working in harm reduction among PWLE. Methods: Fifty qualitative surveys were completed by PWLE working in harm reduction services from across Canada at the National 2018 Stimulus conference held in Edmonton, Alberta. The surveys focused on the benefits and negatives of 'peer' employment and recommendations for organizational transformation through short answer written sections. Surveys were analyzed thematically using NVivo, informed by critical perspectives on substance use, with attention to key re-occurring themes on employment equity. Results: While participants described multiple benefits of working in harm reduction services, such as the valuing of their expertise by fellow 'peers,' growing skill sets, countering stigma, and preventing overdose deaths, issues of workplace equity were significantly identified. Stigma, tokenism, workplace discrimination, including power and pay inequities, as well as lack of worker compensation and benefits were identified as key factors persisting in the everyday experiences of participants. Conclusion: Continued exposure to stigma, workplace discrimination, and/or power imbalances, combined with the impact of high stakes employment (e.g., dealing with overdose deaths), can have significant consequences for PWLE working in harm reduction, including burn out. Policy recommendations include large-scale structural changes that address inequities of hierarchical 'peer' employment for PWLE, including increased leadership roles for diverse PWLE, pay equity and benefits, unionization, as well as more supportive working environments attentive to the intersecting social-structural factors (poverty, criminalization, racism, gendered violence) impacting the everyday lives of PWLE working in harm reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inner‐city service hubs are vital spaces of survival for homeless populations. They are also vulnerable to gentrification‐induced displacement, putting the populations they serve at increased risk. This paper contributes to recent work on the resilience of inner‐city service hubs through a case study of Edmonton, Canada. Specifically, we theorise the assemblage‐like qualities of Edmonton's service hub, in the context of a major urban redevelopment project. As a heterogeneous grouping of different spaces of care, service hubs lend themselves well to assemblage thinking. Viewed from this vantage point, service hubs can been seen as relational achievements, assembled through articulations among voluntary sector, private and government organisations. We demonstrate how these articulations express multiple practices, ideals and values and add to the spatial resilience of the service hub in historically and spatially contingent ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This paper outlines the transformation of youth mental health services in Edmonton, Alberta, a large city in Western Canada. We describe the processes and challenges involved in restructuring how services and care are delivered to youth (11‐25 years old) with mental health needs based on the objectives of the pan‐Canadian ACCESS Open Minds network. Methods: We provide a narrative review of how youth mental health services have developed since our engagement with the ACCESS Open Minds initiative, based on its five central objectives of early identification, rapid access, appropriate care, continuity of care, and youth and family engagement. Results: Building on an initial community mapping exercise, a service network has been developed; teams that were previously age‐oriented have been integrated together to seamlessly cover the age 11 to 25 range; early identification has thus far focused on high‐school populations; and an actual drop‐in space facilitates rapid access and linkages to appropriate care within the 30‐day benchmark. Conclusions: Initial aspects of the transformation have relied on restructuring and partnerships that have generated early successes. However, further transformation over the longer term will depend on data demonstrating how this has impacted clinical outcomes and service utilization. Ultimately, sustainability in a large urban centre will likely involve scaling up to a network of similar services to cover the entire population of the city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The City of Edmonton’s Drainage Operations branch oversees the inspection, maintenance, and repair of the city’s drainage network. This network covers an area of 700.6 km2 to serve the city’s growing population of nearly 1 million people. The activities performed by this division consume a large amount of funding and are, therefore, receptive to improvements in productivity. The study presented in this paper was conducted to develop improved work methods and engineered productivity standards for the various drainage operations. The study focused on six crews, which accounted for over 25% of the total drainage operations budget. The six crews were divided based on their respective duties: (1) cleaning mains by low pressure flushing (LPF); (2) cleaning mains by high pressure flushing; (3) scheduled mechanical cleaning of catch basins (CBC); (4) inspecting mains by televising; (5) commercial establishment investigation; and (6) service-line rodding and televising. The study utilized the concept of work simplification and focused on two crew activities—LPF and CBC work tasks—to improve crew work methods, to develop an established work standard, and to verify the proposed improvements based on the simulation model’s output. These activities are described in greater detail in two case studies. The work measurement concept was implemented to develop engineered productivity standards for the remaining crews in order to improve their productivity as well. This paper describes the application of an industrial engineering philosophy of work measurement—lean production theory—and the technique of simulation analysis to capture current work methods, generate and test alternative methods, and develop new productivity standards for drainage maintenance operations crews. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]